Content or Controversy?

Written By: Grace Randall and Sofia Roque

Within Youth and Government, each bill has its own levels of debatability and quality, but there are bills that end up sacrificing one for the sake of the other. This has different implications for each delegate, but the question still stands: which bills, controversial or well-written, are the fittest for the Senate and House floors? Generally, delegates report that a well-rounded bill is a combination of these two components, but even still, each trait has a different tier of significance to each legislator.

Any bill that sparks debate will undoubtedly spark interest and excitement within the debaters. Luke Reinhard, a member of the Blue House and of the East Shore delegation explained, “Bills can never be too controversial. Controversial bills make for good debate, and good debates end up being more fun for delegates.” For Reinhard, a bill being debatable “has a higher priority over being well-written, because if a bill is not debatable and people cannot talk about it, then it is pointless.” Many delegates agree with Reinhard’s statements, including John Wesesky, another member of the Blue House from the Obama delegation. “A well-rounded bill for me is debatable.” Bills being debatable give delegates the chance to talk about and explain both sides to something, allowing them to use critical thinking skills to elaborate on their arguments.

On the other hand, bills that are written with quality are also prioritized by members of the legislature, including Youth Governor Rishin Sharma. In his remarks during the April 12th press conference, Sharma said that well-written bills with real-world significance should be every delegate’s priority. “It is an absolute necessity, a bare minimum requirement to make sure that every single bill is well-written,” he said on the emphasis of quality over debatability. Elijah Burtner, Gold Committee Chair from the Somerset delegation, also believes that the quality content in these bills deserves a chance in the spotlight, saying that “it’s important for the people who write the practical bills to have a fair shot.”

At Model, each bill in the calendar ends up in a committee, and then, perhaps, on the floor of the beautiful chambers of the Capitol. In the end, it’s up to the delegates of Pennsylvania YAG to decide which aspects of a bill make it worth their vote.